Association Between Internet Addiction and Substance Abuse: A Literature Survey for Early Detection and Treatment

Abstract

As a newly proposed term, Internet addiction is derived from DSM-IV criteria from impulsive control disorders. The addictive element may be the active search for stimulation through the Internet and the presence of typical addictive features of substance abuse including tolerance and withdrawal, cognitive preoccupation and craving, activation in dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) suggests a pre-existing mechanism for Internet addiction. Therefore, it was hypothesized that Internet addiction might be an interchangeable form of substance use disorder. Though there is a great number of findings supporting the relationship between Internet and substance addiction, the common features are debated in the study of addiction. This literature survey aims to investigate the association between Internet and substance addiction and develop potential early detection and treatments for Internet addiction.